Northfield Shares

Volunteer Opportunities Offer a Vacation from the Normal Routine

Editor’s Note: This column, which was written by Northfield Shares Executive Director Mike Krance, originally appeared in the April 12, 2018, edition of the Northfield News.

Warmer weather is here and school will soon be out! While many people see summer as a time for vacations, our local nonprofits will still be hard at work improving our community—and they need volunteers. Here are a few volunteer opportunities that will be available during the next several months.

Northfield Beyond the Yellow Ribbon (BTYR)—Northfield BTYR is a community network that creates awareness for the purpose of connecting veterans and service members and their families with community support and resources. Volunteers are needed at the annual Memorial Day Picnic as greeters, serving food and beverages and clean up. If you would like to join this network of volunteers or want more information, please call 507-645-3019 or email NYellowRibbon@gmail.com.

Community Action Center (CAC)—The CAC-Food Shelf has opportunities in stocking, sorting, shopping with clients and home deliveries. Minimum age is 14 with a commitment of once a week. Contact Darla Stadler at stadler.darla@communityactioncenter.org.

Northfield Area Family YMCA—Come volunteer at the Northfield YMCA’s Start ofSummer Kickoff on Saturday, June 9, at 7 p.m. Volunteers help make it a memorable and entertaining night. With laughter, family fun and lots of games, this event is the perfect way to spend a summer evening. For more information contact Lindsay at volunteer@northfieldymca.org.

Northfield Healthy Community Initiative—Readers are needed to work with elementary-aged students in the elementary schools one hour per week. Contact Laura Turek for more information at laura@northfieldhci.org.

Northfield Historical Society—The Northfield Historical Society needs front desk volunteers on weekdays and weekends. Volunteers are responsible for front-end customer service, orienting visitors to the museum, and working the register for store sales. Shifts are four hours long, and volunteers can be placed on a weekly or substitute schedule. To learn more, email Cathy Osterman at osterman@northfieldhistory.org.

Northfield Retirement Community (NRC)—NRC is looking for outdoor gardening volunteers to help with campus clean up and regular upkeep, such as weeding, watering, raking, and cleaning courtyards, furniture and walk ways. Help is also needed with perennial removal, sweeping debris, spreading mulch and helping maintain the faith park. For more information, contact Melosha Malecha at mmalecha@northfieldretirement.org.

Defeat of Jesse James Days (DJJD) Committee—There are a variety of DJJD Committee and support positions available to help make Minnesota’s largest all-volunteer celebration a success. For more information about how you can get involved, please visit www.DJJD.org.

LINK Center—The LINK Center is seeking volunteers who are conversational in Spanish to assist at our reference desk. Volunteers will interact with people asking a variety of questions related to resources as well as giving directions in the Northfield Community Resource Center building. They may also be asked to translate documents, assist with projects, social media outreach, paper filing, and other administrative duties. For more information, contact Teresa Stanley at teresa@northfieldhci.org.

These are just a few of the many volunteer opportunities available in Northfield during the next several months. While making your vacation plans, please also consider taking a break from your normal routine through a new volunteer opportunity. You’ll help make Northfield an even better place this spring and summer.